Goodbye, Andy..............

This photograph is from a tribute by Kevin Siers in The Charlotte Observer. I found it in a Facebook post. The following is a summary of some of my own thoughts evoked by the occasion of the passing of Mr. Griffith:If I'm still and close my eyes for just a bit, I can hear the screen door slam, the hum of a table fan cooling off the house and maybe even smell the aroma of Mamaw's peach cobbler in the oven. Those summertime sensory experiences certainly are still pretty vivid...........the smell of freshly mown grass and the vinegar that ultimately got smeared all over my sunburned limbs when I stayed outside too long. After all, why on earth would anybody want to go inside when they could play in the yard with friends until dark and even after dark? Certainly, not me. I would ride my bike as long as my parents would let me. Not sure if it was the thrill of the wind in my hair or listening to the clickety click clack of those baseball cards (held in place by simple wooden clothes pins) flipping on the spokes that lured me out on that old cruiser bike. I wish I still had that bike with it's big old seat, fenders and foot brakes. And even though I didn't live in Mayberry, I think the community where I lived during the early to mid '60's could have been a close second. Life seemed much simpler then until the JFK years came along with the Bay of Pigs, duck and cover drills and having to wear dog tags to school one year just in case those bad guys attacked our nation. And it wasn't too long after that when we were shocked by the images on the nightly news showing what was happening on the other side of the world in Vietnam. But all the while we still had Andy and Barney, Aunt Bea with her gracious manners, Opie, Gomer and Goober. A person can learn a lot from Mayberry. I suppose I was an adult before I really truly understood the timelessness of those shows. We still watch and enjoy them. And I am glad to know that I can scroll through the channels on the cable listings and find it almost any time of day or night if I need a Mayberry fix. Wouldn't it be great if we could live in a place where it wasn't necessary to lock the doors, our children could safely play with their neighborhood friends as everybody's Mama was watching out for them. I suppose I should take off my rose colored glasses and get a reality check. Technology has taken us forward by leaps and bounds but there are some things that would be nice to revisit. And many of those things can be found right there in those Mayberry reruns. I'm thankful for the entertainment those folks provided and know that everybody's friend, Andy, will be missed.

Website Update

If you are looking for some information on this year's event, you're in luck. The only thing I haven't posted yet is a schedule of set times for each band. That will come soon. In the meantime you can go to www.dumplinvalleybluegrass.com and find the schedule of bands and other information. Also, if you are interested in volunteering for positions such as parking or manning wristband checkpoints, shoot us an e-mail and we can discuss it. The e-mail address is: dumplingrass@comcast.net. I'm also thinking of having a booth where our Facebook fans can meet each other and take photos, etc. If you have any ideas for that, I'd like to hear them. I know we have a bunch of folks who attend our festival and have "liked" our page but don't actually know who a lot of the "friends" are so it would be a good time for them to meet each other. Don't forget the potluck dinner on Wednesday evening at 6pm. We always have a good time doing that. And we look forward to it. Now that you know that our website is updated, head on over there and check it out.

Just Around The Corner................

Yes, it is just around the corner. Of course, I am referring to the 13th Annual Dumplin Valley Bluegrass Festival. In just a few weeks we will be transforming our little corner of Kodak into a bustling festival site. I'm already looking forward to fresh kettle corn, Steve's brisket and the many other items offered by our vendors. And then there is the music, music and more music! But best of all will be the presence of some new residents of Kodak. And that would be our "kids" who have finally moved back to Tennessee from Colorado. Some of you may recall that I had just become a grandparent last year just prior to the festival. Well............now that little baby is here with us and we are anxious for you to meet her. Naturally, we've been thinking about which instrument will get pushed her way first. ha ha I hope she's a bluegrass fan! So far it looks like she is but I will admit that one of her favorite tunes is Chuck Berry's "Roll Over Beethoven"! :) Maybe all the live music will influence her choice.

Welcome Home, Winter family!

September Lineup Finally Complete

Here it is:
Thursday - Monroeville
Paul Williams & The Victory Trio
Lou Reid & Carolina
Cordle, Jackson & Salley
Friday - Rhonda Vincent & The Rage
The Little Roy & Lizzy Show
Jimbo Whaley & Greenbrier
Balsam Range
The Crowe Brothers
Saturday - Gibson Brothers
Lonesome River Band
Jerry Butler & The Blu-J's
Junior Sisk & Ramblers Choice
Shadow Ridge
These bands are listed in no particular order. The daily schedule will be posted at a later date. With the exception of one 90 minute show on Thursday (Cordle, Jackson & Salley) all the bands will play 2 45 min. sets. This is our first year to have The Crowe Brothers as well as Cordle, Jackson & Salley although Larry Cordle has played here with his band, Lonesome Standard Time on several different occasions. Larry Cordle, Carl Jackson and Jerry Salley are 3 of the most prolific songwriters of our generation. We know you're going to enjoy their show. Joe and I recently saw them in Canton, NC with Balsam Range. Those 2 groups really know how to entertain!
Speaking of Balsam Range, I think it is appropriate for me to mention here that their lead singer/fiddler, Buddy Melton, is recovering from a very traumatic accident he suffered a couple of days ago while loading a cow into a trailer. His face was smashed by the door on the trailer and has extensive injuries to his face. He is scheduled for surgery next week. You can follow his progress on the band's website and also on their various Facebook pages. We are keeping his family in our prayers through this very difficult time.
Don't forget the camping and jamming weekend coming up May 18-19. Several people have called this week to make reservations. We'd love to have you join us. The only charge will be the regular Dumplin Valley Farm RV Park overnight fee which is $25 + tax for 30amp and $30+tax for 50amp (limited). No shows are scheduled and no vendors will be here for the May weekend. It's just a great time of visiting and picking with fellow bluegrassers. We look forward to picking and singing with everyone.
Keep on enjoying this great spring weather we're having! m

Although it looks and feels a little like spring outside, it's still February and I heard the word "snow" in our forecast for Sunday. Having just returned from Colorado, I've seen about all the snow I want to see this season. It's beautiful but when it gets piled up in parking lots it starts looking a little dingy and not so pretty anymore. I know you guys from up North know about that kind of snow. We are lucky that our snow usually falls softly, makes a lovely blanket on the ground and then melts away rather quickly without leaving too much mess behind.
There are lots of folks in town this weekend for the holiday (President's Day) so if you are traveling and get in a "jam" just tune in to your favorite bluegrass station or pop in a favorite cd to help you ease along to your destination.
The Knoxville House & Garden Show is this weekend. Why not check it out? It should get you in the mood for spring.
I'll be announcing our 2012 lineup soon. It should be on the website soon, too. We hope you will be as excited as we are with this year's selection of bands. Have a great weekend! m

September 13-14-15

Important dates to remember for music at Dumplin Valley: May 18-19: camping and picking weekend.
September 13-14-15: 13th Annual Dumplin Valley Bluegrass Festival
If you haven't made your reservations yet, just give us a call: 865-397-7942.

Who knew spoiling grandbabies could be so much work? Whew! It's been a great week+ so far. Too bad it's been so cold here which has prevented me from getting Eliza out in the stroller. Don't get the wrong idea...............we did manage to go to one of the myriad of malls around here for a little S & S (strolling & shopping..ha). It snowed quite a bit down in the Denver area the night before I got here and it snowed a couple of times since then. That's fine with me since we haven't had much "winter" weather at home. It's been a low key trip this time around. I did make a trip out to pick up some stuff one night and Julie and I went to a movie at a theater where you can order and eat your dinner in a comfy seat while watching the movie. I must lead a sheltered life as I had not experienced that before. Loved it. The food was actually good and so was the movie. Looked like a popular place as the parking lot was full. Saw one car parked up on one of the many mounds of snow piled up in the lot. We're just not used to seeing that much snow at home. I know............you guys way up above that Mason-Dixon line are well acquainted with that.
While I've been away, Joe's been slaving away giving the kitchen a new look. Can't wait to see it. He had to send me away to get out of harms way..........the dreaded paint fumes! ha Well, I didn't need an excuse to come see my little E.
To all of you who told me how wonderful being a grandparent is, I say, you weren't just whistling Dixie! I've really loved seeing that beautiful little smile when she wakes up from a long night's sleep or even just a little catnap.
On a different note - it won't be long until our camp out and jam weekend in May (18-19). We had such a good time last year. I hope we have a "yard full" of pickers this year. As they say...........the more, the merrier.
I know I've said it before, but I really do have someone working on updating the website. Hopefully, she'll get it done soon. Sept. dates are 13-15. Hope to see you soon. m